Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper

Great Bay, the Piscataqua River, and all the waters making up our Great Bay estuary are at the core of what makes our Seacoast communities so special. Whether kayaking in Little Bay, hiking on Adams Point near Great Bay, or hitting the beach with my kids at Odiorne, I feel lucky to have experienced just…

This blog was first published as part of my regular column on SeacoastOnline.com. I’m an optimist. And whenever I am asked whether the Great Bay ecosystem will rebound to its historic, healthy condition, my answer has always been “Yes.” While I remain optimistic, however, there is real cause for concern. At the heart of that…

Zak Griefen, CLF’s Environmental Enforcement Litigator, commented, “Stormwater runoff is one of the greatest threats to Great Bay and our seacoast communities, yet the Pease Development Authority has gone unchecked while pouring toxic chemicals into these already-endangered waters. That stops today. When anyone threatens the health of water, our wildlife and our people, they must be forced to answer for that neglect.”

New Hampshire is not a huge state. But, it is home to almost 5,000 dams – some active, some in disrepair, and some abandoned. That large number can now be reduced by one. The Great Dam in Exeter is no more. Great Bay is fed by seven freshwater rivers – and now two are without head-of-tide dams. In 1638,…

Last week, two dozen enthusiastic and very capable volunteers from Timberland joined me and other kayakers to remove debris from the shores of Little Bay. Staff from Seven Rivers Paddling in Newmarket supplied kayaks and expertise. Staging for the event was arranged by Sean McKenna at Great Bay Marine in Newington. This was the second…

When showing visitors around the Great Bay estuary in CLF’s Great Bay–Piscataqua Waterkeeper vessel, it can be challenging to drum up enthusiasm for eelgrass. This unique type of seagrass resides beneath the surface of the water and is hard to see. But this amazing organism plays a major role in the health of the estuary’s…

Last week I visited Newmarket to see first-hand the progress being made on the town’s new sewage treatment plant. In 2013, the town’s citizens voted to bond the cost of a new plant that would adhere to EPA permit requirements that – for the first time – will result in dramatic reductions in nitrogen pollution.…

The Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper vessel is back on the water for its third season. Following our launch earlier this month, the weather did not cooperate until last week. Interest is keen from folks who want to climb aboard and explore Great Bay and the Piscataqua River to identify and discuss the challenges facing our local…

… The city reached a tentative deal with the EPA and Conservation Law Foundation in March to extend the deadline for when it must complete a new wastewater treatment plant on Peirce Island. Read more here…